People
Principal consultant Merlin McKenzie holds a B.Sc in mathematics from Canterbury University, and an MS
in computer science from Purdue University. As a scientist at the NZ Forest Research Institute (now Scion)
he specialised in development of software and systems for the commercial forestry sector. His influential
contributions to the sector over this period included design and development of the MARVL system for pre-harvest
inventory, as well as some of NZs first database applications for management of plantation forestry.
He spent five years as Information Systems Manager at the Institute, before leaving to start his own company,
Centralis Limited. Merlin also acts as a Software Development Manager of exSITEz Ltd, a provider of technical
software and services for tree breeders and forestry companies.
Senior consultant Mark Hunter holds a B.Com with majors in Economics and Information Science and B.A. with a major
in Philosophy, both degrees from Otago University. He has over eighteen years’ software development experience as a
project manager, solutions architect, business analyst and programmer. Mark has worked on information systems projects
in a variety of industries including forestry, education, manufacturing, distribution, and government.
He has extensive experience with key IT technologies including SAP, Microsoft’s .Net platform, SQL databases,
data warehousing, and a range of wireless handheld technologies.
Developer Howlan Ho holds an NZCDP qualification from Waikato Technical Institute and has undertaken further
tertiary study in information systems through Massey University. She has worked professionally in software
development since 1982 in a wide variety of commercial and technical applications from laboratory data capture
to sawmill and log yard inventory and management.
General Manager Heather McKenzie has a B.For.Sc degree from Canterbury University. She worked in management of
forestry operations at Kaingaroa Forest, then as a scientist at Forest Research Institute (now Scion)
specialising in silviculture and wood properties of eucalypts and other non-radiata pine species. In addition to
skills in project management of multidisciplinary teams, she brings a practictioner's perspective to evaluation
and testing of technical and management software.